AMMONNEWS - Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah expressed her gratitude toward all Jordanian volunteers for "uplifting the nation with their passion," during a meeting on Monday with members of the Nashmi Center for Youth Empowerment.

Speaking at a gathering with Nashmi members at Beit Shams in Jabal Amman, the Queen said she is always eager to meet with volunteers for their crucial role and important efforts to advance their communities. She spoke with the youth volunteers about the importance of positivity and constructive criticism, which should be followed by "reform, hard work, and collaboration." Her Majesty was received at Beit Shams by Nashmi Founder, Ala’ Al Bashiti, and Shams Founder, Maha Dahmash Malhas. Following an overview from Al Bashiti on the organization’s work, the Queen joined a number of the center’s youth volunteers for a discussion on volunteerism in Jordan.

Her Majesty explained how social media has changed the face of volunteerism, providing it with new avenues that were nonexistent ten years ago.

Commending the Nashmi Center for creating sustainable, data-driven initiatives, Queen Rania highlighted the importance of gathering statistics in developing effective initiatives that meet the public’s needs. Launched in 2016, the Nashmi Center for Youth Empowerment is a non-profit organization that promotes social work and volunteering across the country. Aiming to position volunteerism as a way of life and a moral obligation among Jordan’s youth, Nashmi encompasses several volunteering campaigns addressing social issues.

Among the 21 initiatives it supports, Nashmi lobbies against the use of firearms at public events, raises awareness to protect youth from cybercrime, performs repairs and maintenance at primary schools, and works to assimilate people with disabilities into society.

According to Al Bashiti, Nashmi was built upon the values of dialogue, honest work, and productivity. At the meeting, he shared the organization’s strategy for the current year, which aims to launch initiatives that counter extremist ideology, encourage school students to perform community service, and shed light on the importance of maintaining parks and other public spaces.